Preserves, Pickles and Chutneys

Fig and Earl Grey Jam

Jar of fig and Earl grey jam sitting on tea cloth surrounded by ripe figs

Everybody seems to have a favourite jam in our household   Fig and Earl Grey Jam is our goddaughter’s, Chloé’s absolute favourite.  Our fig tree seems to have good and bad years dependant on the weather so it makes it extra special when there are enough to make her some.

It is, of course, glorious on toast, and wonderful next to a blue or goats cheese.  But I think if Chloé had her way she’d just eat it straight from the jar!   I am with her on this one, although I’d probably alternate mouthfuls of jam with squares of dark chocolate!
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Rhubarb And Redcurrant Jam

Don’t stop reading because you think this jam is going to take too long and be too complicated to make   Read on and you’ll see it takes less than 30 mins to make including chopping.   It really is a doddle to make and tastes so much better than anything you can buy!

I have been flat out in the garden trying to get everything planted so there are lots of veggies to eat in the next few months  we’ll, that is, if things go well   There hasn’t been much to harvest  in this bit of the year known as the hungry gap but things are changing

What there has been though is lots of rhubarb so I’ve been making lots with that   Apart from crumble I’ve previously posted recipes for Rhubarb and Orange Streusel Cake and Rhubarb and Ginger Queen of Puddings so I thought I’d put in some recipes that preserve rhubarb (it does freeze beautifully in chunks too) for when you have to stop picking it at the end of June.  So I am posting this recipe on jam and will add posts for rhubarb gin and rhubarb cordial shortly.

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Blackberry & Apple Curd

Blackberry & Apple Curd with Soda Bread

 

Rather than the usual lemon or orange curd, this recipe uses blackberries and apples to make a very autumnal version.   Whilst it’s method is slightly different to a traditional curd, it too is delicious on toast or as a cake filling.  Perhaps, most surprisingly if you bake it in a pastry case for 30 minutes in a medium oven you get a wonderful mousse-y textured tart.

I originally just popped the fresh blackberries onto the bread and curd for decoration but having greedily devoured the finished product I would really recommend it!

Of course it’s brilliant just eaten from the jar on its own!

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Spiced Runner Bean Piccalilli

Open jar of Spiced Runner Bean Piccalilli, with spoon sticking out of it, on wooden tray. Other jars behind.

If you grow your own runner beans you will know that they are a bit like growing courgettes – they are the gift that keeps on giving.   Just a few vines and you have runner beans all summer long.

As much as I love runner beans there comes a point when there are protests at the thought of runner beans for supper yet again (let alone for breakfast and lunch) and even friends and neighbours don’t want a bag of them.  So I needed ideas as to how to deal with the surplus.   I have frozen some (strung and cut to size, blanched for two minutes, open freeze on trays so beans don’t clump, before putting into small bags to be cooked from frozen later) but frozen beans aren’t as good as fresh, and don’t seem right in the depths of January so freezing has limited appeal.  So what else can be done with the surplus?  Spiced Runner Bean Piccalilli take a bow! Continue reading →

Quince and Cardamon Mincemeat

Last year I posted a recipe for Home-made Christmas Mincemeat and was asked whether it was possible to make mincemeat without using suet.  At the time I suggested replacing suet with butter which works very well.    Last week I was reading Nigel Slater’s recently published “The Christmas Chronicles” (a great book and a wonderful Christmas gift idea for anyone interested in cooking) when I came across a recipe for quince mincemeat jumped out at me.  It doesn’t use suet – or any fat at all – so not only would it be ideal for those who don’t want to use suet but it would be great for vegans too.  I have to admit that I have poached the quince differently to that in Mr Slater’s recipe as I think using spices in the poaching liquid gives a better flavour and allows you to use the cooked quinces in many different ways but, other than that, the rest is the same. The recipe for my  Poached Quinces is here

It is true that this recipe doesn’t result in a traditional mincemeat in so far as it’s more the consistency of a conserve.  There is a real plus if you make this though, as you can not only use it as a filling for mince pies but it also works well as an accompaniment to cheese and cold cuts Continue reading →

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